title: A four-year follow-up study of physical working conditions and perceived mental and physical strain among food industry workers.
abstract: This study hypothesized that in a longitudinal setting deteriorating physical working conditions increases the perceived physical and mental strain among food processing employees. The study was conducted in 2003 and 2007. It examined 248 blue-collar workers, all of whom were in the same occupation throughout the entire follow-up period. The data were obtained through a structural questionnaire distributed to the employees at the workplace. Mental strain had increased (7%) significantly among younger employees during the follow-up. The changes in mental strain for the younger employees were positively associated with the changes in physical strain. The changes in physical strain were also significantly associated with the changes in physical working conditions among both younger and the older workers. The results of this study partly support the study hypothesis, namely that deteriorating physical working condition increases physical strain and also increases mental strain, especially among younger employees.
authors.affiliation: School of Health Sciences, University of Tampere, Tampere FI-33014, Finland. Electronic address: subas.neupane@uta.fi.
authors.forename: Subas
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Neupane
authors.affiliation: School of Health Sciences, University of Tampere, Tampere FI-33014, Finland.
authors.forename: Pekka
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Virtanen
authors.affiliation: School of Health Sciences, University of Tampere, Tampere FI-33014, Finland; Science Center, Pirkanmaa Hospital District, Tampere, Finland.
authors.forename: Tiina
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Luukkaala
authors.affiliation: School of Health Sciences, University of Tampere, Tampere FI-33014, Finland.
authors.forename: Anna
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Siukola
authors.affiliation: School of Health Sciences, University of Tampere, Tampere FI-33014, Finland.
authors.forename: Clas-Håkan
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Nygård
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D006804:Ergonomics / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D019649:Food Industry / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D005082:Physical Exertion; D013312:Stress, Physiological; D013315:Stress, Psychological / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D017132:Workplace / Q000592:standards / Q000706:statistics & numerical data
keywords: Environmental factors; Ergonomic factors; Food factory